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Rideshare drivers, cleaners and airport workers march for better benefits, conditions ahead of Labor Day

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:16:22 GMT

Hundreds marched in the Boston Common this Labor Day weekend, including commercial building cleaners, airport workers and rideshare drivers marching under the banner “We Make Massachusetts Move.”“Labor Day isn’t just to go away for the weekend,” said At-Large City Councilor Erin Murphy. “It’s to show up here with the workers who keep our city moving.”Both union 32BJ-SEIU and non-union workers marched together for better benefits and working conditions. Each of the transportation worker groups is fighting for their rights. The union contract for janitors expires on Nov. 15, the airport workers are asking Massport to improve working conditions at Logan Airport, and rideshare drivers are pushing for legislation which allows them to form a union.“Boston is a union city and must stay that way,” Boston City Council President Ed Flynn said. “To live in Boston, you need to make a decent salary, and many workers can’t do it, but a union is a cle...

Investigation underway after fatal shooting in Dorchester

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:16:22 GMT

Police are investigating an overnight shooting Saturday night that killed a man in Dorchester.The shooting happened near Michigan and Old Roads near the Franklin Park Zoo. Police taped off a part of the intersection for their investigation overnight.No further information was immediately available.This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.

Pope gives ‘noble’ Chinese people a shoutout at Mass in Mongolia in bid to warm ties

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:16:22 GMT

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (AP) — Pope Francis sent a special greeting to China’s “noble” people on Sunday, giving them a special shout-out at the end of a Mass celebrated in neighboring Mongolia during the first-ever papal visit that was largely overshadowed by Beijing and its crackdown on religious minorities.Francis brought up to the altar the retired and current bishops of Hong Kong, Cardinal John Hon Tong and Cardinal-elect Stephen Chow, clasped their hands and told the crowd that included many mainland Chinese pilgrims that he wished them all well.“I want to take advantage of their presence to send a warm greeting to the noble Chinese people,” Francis said. “To all the (Chinese) people I wish the best and to always go forward, always progress.”“I ask Chinese Catholics to be good Christians and good citizens,” he added, to cheers from the crowd in the Steppe Arena, in the capital, Ulaanbaatar.It was the first and only time that Francis has publicly mentioned China during his four-da...

3 men shot, 1 critical in South Austin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:16:22 GMT

CHICAGO -- Three men are injured after a shooting in South Austin Saturday night, police said. According to police, officers responded to a call of shots fired near the 5100 block of West Madison Street around 11:31 p.m. and found three men with gunshot wounds.A 26-year-old man sustained a gunshot wound to the right leg and self-transported to a hospital in good condition. Man opens fire on driver after being hit by car in Garfield Park Another 25-year-old man sustained a gunshot wound to the back and self-transported to a hospital in good condition. A 47-year-old man is in critical condition after he sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the left and right side of the body. He was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition. There is currently no one in custody and police are investigating the incident.

Cash, connections, and conflicts of interest precede Paxton impeachment trial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:16:22 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — As state senators prepare to decide the fate of Texas' top law enforcement official, many of them face a recent history of political activity tying them to the defendant as GOP mega-donors work behind the scenes to tilt the scales.PAC PressureIn June, campaign finance records revealed the pro-Paxton "Defend Texas Liberty" political action committee donated $3 million to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who will preside over the impeachment trial.The donation immediately prompted condemnation from some senators and observers concerned about the influence of money in the quasi-judicial process."All of the support that we've ever given to elected officials after a session has been because they fought hard to deliver conservative policy results for Texans," conservative activist and PAC leader Luke Macias said, framing the donation as a retroactive appreciation for the Senate's conservative record rather than a push for favorable Paxton treatment.Jonathan Stickland, the PAC's pr...

Humidity increases ahead of record breaking heat

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:16:22 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Today into Labor Day Monday will both feature an isolated shower or downpour (less than a 10%) for our northern counties. Otherwise, expect very hot conditions to persist with increasing humidity. Expect "Feels-Like" temps to climb to as high as 108 degrees through the middle of the week.Increasing humidityWhile there is a chance for a spot storm through Wednesday, most of us won't get any rain for the next week or more.As rain chances subside, record heat returns to Central Texas. By Thursday through Saturday of next week our highs will challenge records.Not much hope for significant heat or drought relief in the near term. 2023 was Austin's hottest summer on record. What should we expect in September? Hotter, drier than normal weather is expected through at least the middle of September. BLOG: Could PDO mess with our wet El Niño? Austin Interactive Weather Stats (2023) FIRST WARNING WEATHER: Stay up to date with your Central Texas forecast, sign up for our...

New medical bill transparency law in effect; what you need to know

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:16:22 GMT

Michelle Ledesma at her home in Cedar Park reviewing the new medical bill transparency law. (KXAN Photo/Arezow Doost.This report is an update to KXAN’s “Medical Debt Lawsuits” investigation. Our team followed this legislation during Texas’ regular legislative session.WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Michelle Ledesma breathed a sigh of relief as lawmakers voted to send Senate Bill 490 to Gov. Greg Abbott.It was May and she had already been tracking the bill for months during the last regular session."I was getting email alerts," Ledesma said. "I started to follow each stage."It was the first time she had followed legislation this closely. Ledesma, who is from Cedar Park, added she realized the impact was wide reaching and not just personal.Ledesma explained in 2018 she was hospitalized for a severe bacterial infection. She said she had insurance but was billed more than $2,000 out of pocket. Two years after her treatment, she was sued by an area hospital for medical d...

Taylor man sentenced to life in connection with continuous sexual abuse of a young child

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:16:22 GMT

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A man was sentenced Monday by a jury in Williamson County after finding him guilty of continuous sexual abuse of a young child, according to the Williamson County District Attorney.A release said Juan J. Banda, of Taylor, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.During the trial, the DA’s office said evidence was presented that between 2007 and 2012, Banda subjected four girls under the age of 14 to various forms of sexual abuse.“The case came to light in 2020 when one of the victims, now an adult, courageously reported the abuse to the Taylor Police Department. After the first report, a second victim also decided to come forward. Law enforcement later uncovered the existence of two additional victims,” the DA’s office said.According to the release, during the week-long trial, the jury heard testimony from all four victims about the sexual abuse they endured as children."Children are among the most vulnerable members of the ...

New program aims to help new families with food insecurity in Austin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:16:22 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new partnership program is aiming to reduce food insecurity for new families in Austin. Ascension Seton Medical Center, Farmshare Austin, The Cook's Nook and the Michael and Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health are working together in the new program called Food is the Best Medicine. As emergency food assistance nears end, 1 in 5 Texans face hunger According to a February poll from No Kid Hungry, a national campaign, two in five parents experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months. More broadly, 73% of Texans are having a harder time affording groceries than at the same time in 2022.The program will give families 120 meals; prepped fruit, vegetables and grain-forward meal kits; and a produce and pantry staples box, according to a release. Weekly provisions are delivered to each family's home. Participating families will also be part of a study with UTHealth Houston to measure the pr...

John Demma: Self governance? E pluribus unum? They’re on us

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:16:22 GMT

“In free governments,” Ben Franklin said, “the rulers are the servants and the people their superiors and sovereigns.”Ben’s wisdom byte poses a reckoning for our grand experiment in self-governance:Are We The People (the “bosses”), capable of reconciling our social, economic and political differences? (In service to sustaining our experiment while safeguarding it from haters, conflict exploiters, toxin spreaders and takeover by ruler-servants?)By Ben’s measure, We The People are the ultimate keepers or losers of our self-governance and shared sovereignty. Why? Because power, Ben says, originates with We The People, and flows (with our continuous consent) from us to our subordinate ruler-servants.Blaming our grand experiment’s troubles on ruler-servants damns us as incapable of settling our differences.It places us at risk of losing our sovereignty at the speed of growing unreconciled differences.We The People are tracking toward subservience by ruler-servants (and wannabes) whose hi...